EDMONTON, Alberta, May 4, 2009 — The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Canada's Minister of State (Science and Technology), along with the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Canada's Minister of Labour, and the Honourable Doug Horner, Alberta Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, today announced investments totalling more than $348 million in 28 projects at post-secondary institutions throughout Alberta.

As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada introduced the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a two-year $2-billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at Canadian post-secondary institutions, including universities and community colleges. Today's announcement celebrates the projects that qualify under the program in Alberta.

“Our government's investment provides significant short-term economic stimulus in local communities throughout Alberta, while at the same time strengthening Canada's long-term capacity for research and innovation,” said Minister of State Goodyear. “The renewal of college and university facilities will encourage more world-class researchers to work in Canada and give them the tools they need to make more discoveries that will benefit Canadians and people around the world.”

The program is helping to provide economic stimulus and promote employment by creating jobs for engineers, architects, tradespeople and technicians. It is also helping to generate the advanced technological infrastructure needed to keep Canada's research and educational facilities at the forefront of scientific advancement.

“Our government recognizes that scientific and technological innovation is fundamental to our economic and social progress,” said Minister Ambrose. “We must all work together to ensure that science and technology become a true competitive advantage for Canada to get more ideas from the lab to the marketplace, to create new jobs, and to build a stronger economy for Canada and a better future for all of us.”

“We are pleased this funding reflects a Campus Alberta approach by recognizing strategic priorities throughout Alberta's post-secondary system,” said Minister Horner. “This partnership among the two governments and the institutions advances high-priority science, research and maintenance projects, while strengthening our shared goals of building Canada's knowledge-based economy for future generations.”

Central to Alberta's Budget 2009 is Alberta's Capital Plan, which supports $7.2 billion in 2009–10 and a record $23.2 billion over three years to build roads, healthcare facilities, schools and other public infrastructure. This year's investment alone will support over 80 000 jobs across the economy directly benefiting Albertans and Alberta communities. This capital investment complements the government's four-point plan for economic recovery, which calls for keeping an eye on spending, using savings to protect programs and services for Albertans while keeping taxes low, continuing to invest in infrastructure, and promoting the province on the world stage.

Canada's Economic Action Plan sets out to stimulate the Canadian economy over the next two years and to improve our long-term competitiveness through $12 billion in new infrastructure investment, which includes the $2-billion Knowledge Infrastructure Program. This new support is the next substantive investment in the Government of Canada's multi-year Science and Technology Strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage.

For more information about the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, including program criteria, application instructions and a list of the approved projects to date, please visit www.ic.gc.ca/knowledge-infrastructure.